Against the Rules: Part One, The Beginning
by KnitWitByAli
Summary: This is the story within the story! The tale of the Secret Love Affair of Ginny and Draco! Rated M for later Chapters. Please R & R! :D ps. i don't own HP or any of JKR's content!
1. Chapter 1: Ginny

The Welcome Feast was drawing to an uneasy close. Despite the superb dining and the appointments of Hagrid and Lupin as new Professors, the majority of the Hogwarts student body felt wary. Wary about the escape of Sirius Black, the Dementors on the train, and Dumbledore's forewarning against them both.  
One of the most guarded was Ginny Weasley. After last year, and what she had felt under the Dementor's influence on the Hogwart's Express, she had decided to be extremely cautious about anything or anyone involved with the Dark Arts.  
As Dumbledore bade them goodnight, though, Ginny quickly set aside her new promise to herself. She scrambled from her seat and quickly made her way outside the Great Hall before most of her peers. Rushing to a stone bench, she stood upon it and looked over the flood of students now coming into the Entrance Hall behind her. Keen to find one particular person, she ignored the people filing up the stairs and focused on the ones going down. She spotted him after a moment; his white-blond hair and self-important strut were unmistakable.

Draco Malfoy.

Ginny wove herself through the mass of bodies going in every direction and caught up with him just before he headed down to the dungeons.  
"Malfoy!" She called, a few feet away.  
He whirled around curiously, Crabbe and Goyle mirroring his movement. When he spotted her, his face showed surprise, but only for a split-second before it rearranged into a sneer.  
"What do you want, Weasley?" He emphasized the pronunciation of her name, making it seem filthy and unworthy of his speech.  
"What I _want," _She spat venomously, "is for you to leave Harry alone!" Her flaming-red hair practically crackled with the heat of her anger. She knew picking a fight with Draco was unwise, but she couldn't help herself. She had seen him, just hours ago, taunting Harry as he got out of his carriage in front of the castle; teasing him for fainting on the train. She saw Malfoy being reprimanded by Lupin before he sauntered away.  
Malfoy had no idea what kind of horrors Harry had relived on the train, but Ginny did. All the awful things she had done and seen last year came back with a vengeance, during the day this time. Usually she only saw those terrifying images at night, in her nightmares.  
So, when she witnessed Malfoy being nasty to Harry, Ginny became furious. Not just for Harry's sake, but for hers as well. She was tired of Malfoy being such a bully.

Malfoy laughed and signaled for Crabbe and Goyle to proceed to their common room without him. They trudged away and Malfoy leaned against the stone wall a few feet away from the stairs his comrades had just descended.  
"Did I upset you by mocking your little _boyfriend_, Weasley?" He asked, chuckling derisively.  
Ginny turned scarlet. "He's not my boyfriend, Malfoy. Just mind your own business." She said through gritted teeth. Draco laughed again and looked around.  
Nearly half the students had made it into the entrance hall now and had started toward their respective common rooms.  
He lowered his voice and said lightly, "Listen, Weasley, what's so great about _Ol' Scarhead_, anyway?"  
Ginny balled her fists. Struggling to keep her voice down, she said, "He's a hero! And he's really nice. Of, course, anyone from a family like _yours_ wouldn't care about those things."

Draco blanched, then his grey eyes darkened and a pale pink tinge appeared in his cheeks. "And just what do you mean by that, Weasley?" He breathed.  
"I mean that you only hate him because your family hates him, Malfoy. And your family only hates him because he conquered over You-Know-Who. _Three Times_!" She retorted, placing her balled fists on her hips and leaning forward a bit.  
Draco's sneer deepened into a scowl. He stood away from the wall rigidly, his own fists clenched at his sides. "You are so naïve, Weasley! You don't know anything about me, or my family!"  
"Oh, am I?" Ginny hissed, returning his glare.  
Malfoy held the eye contact for a long minute, then his posture deflated and he leaned back against the wall, cockily. "You really are," he scoffed, eyeing her still.

Ginny didn't back down. "In what way?" She asked a vicious edge to her voice. He opened his mouth to answer when Snape interrupted from across the Entrance Hall.  
"Break it up, you two! And get to bed!" He called, as he proceeded to close up the doors to the Great Hall for the night.  
Draco looked at Ginny again. "I'll tell you some other time, Weasley." He leaned in closer to her. "I'll let you in on every way in which you are naïve." He laughed again, and turned loftily to go downstairs.  
Ginny stared after him for a moment, before rushing up towards her own house. She wasn't keen on getting points taken from Snape on her first night back.

She caught up with some of the other Gryffindor stragglers and arrived at the Portrait of the Fat Lady just after Harry, Hermione, and her brother, Ron.  
Her other brother, Percy, had been made Head Boy for the year and announced to password to them, "Fortuna Major!"  
Neville Longbottom moaned an "Oh, no!" from behind Ginny and they all made their way through the portrait-hole. She bade everyone a good night and shuffled up to her dormitory, he mind beginning to get heavy with thought and exhaustion.  
She changed into her pajamas and crawled into her four-poster, reviewing her argument with Malfoy in her head.  
Just what was she so naïve about, she pondered. And what on earth did he mean by he would let her in all the ways in which she was?

She frowned against her pillow as she realized something else. Malfoy hadn't insulted her. Not once. Which was very strange, because all the encounters he ever had with her brothers was filled with degrading comments. She turned over just before falling deep into sleep, deciding that she would just have to find out some other time.


	2. Chapter 2: Draco

Draco awoke, on the first day of term, in his Blackwood four-poster, the deep emerald hangings drawn to block out the deafening snores of both Crabbe and Goyle.  
He wiped the sleep from his eyes and crawled from beneath his covers. Stepping lightly, he got out of bed and crept over to the trunk at the foot of his bed. From it, he pulled a black box, undecorated except for a large silver lock that held it closed. He sneaked back into his four-poster, and hid once more behind its hangings.  
Hidden from view from his dorm mates, who might wake at anytime, Draco pulled a long chain from beneath his nightshirt. The key that hung from it quickly unlocked the box, now in his lap. He slowly creaked the lid open and relieved it of its contents; a relatively small red-leather journal, an eagle feather quill, and a large jar of ink. He set the things down on top of the closed box and opened the journal.  
It would appear to be unwritten in to most people, but Draco knew otherwise. Much like the Diary that his father had secretly given to Ginny Weasley last year, one would have to know how to work this journal to see its secrets. Though, unlike the other Diary, his wasn't possessed by any memories. Just his own musings.

Draco grabbed his wand off his nightstand and tapped the journal lightly, whispering the words only he knew, "My name Draco Lucius Malfoy, and my heart is full."  
And suddenly, the entries he had written in the past appeared, filling many pages.  
He felt a sudden rush of gratitude for his mother, who had given him the special ink that he wrote with. It was a rare ink that could be enchanted by saying a secret word or phrase to reveal itself and then by uttering a different phrase would vanish completely. So far, it was the most useful gift he had received last June, for his birthday.

Draco grabbed the eagle feather quill, dipped it in the ink and sighed heavily. He rubbed his forehead with his free hand and began a new entry.

'Sept. 2nd  
Last night she approached me after the Welcome Feast. Ginny Weasley.  
She scolded me for making fun of her beloved Potter. It infuriated me. How could she love such a stupid prat? The Boy Who Lived? What a load of rubbish!  
Potter is nothing special for vanquishing the Dark Lord, in fact, that's the only thing I hold in contempt for him… other than being a Slimy Goody-Two Shoes.  
If Poor Potter had not survived You-Know-Who, the maybe Ginny's family wouldn't be just another pure-bloodline tainted with treachery. I like to believe that had Potter died, her family purity would be her Saving Grace with the Dark Lord. Maybe then our two worlds wouldn't be wrenched so far apart… I don't know. I probably never will.  
Although, we argued through the majority of our encounter, it made no difference. Her fiery anger actually enlivened me instead of turning my feelings. Just to be near her made me feel as though the very blood in my veins were singing her name.  
I wish my father had never given her that Diary last year, even if it had been meant for her father. I'm not sure where I would be at this point. After pining after her secretly all summer, I'm ready to act.  
Ginny Weasley is the flame that sets my heart ablaze. I know that no one must ever know, but maybe, just maybe, I can turn her from Potter at last and be mine.  
One can dream.'

He signed his name with a small smile on his face. It felt good to get out all his pent up emotions, even if it was only to a journal. He waited a moment for the ink to dry and then retrieved his wand again. He tapped the book and whispered, "My heart is empty."  
The pages went blank. He tucked away the journal, quill and ink back into their box. He locked it silently and then tucked it within the contents of his trunk once more. He straightened himself and sighed.  
Now that he was relieved of his heart's secret burden for a while, he was ready to be his usual nasty self.

"Get up, you two! I'm ready for breakfast!" He snapped to the still-slumbering Crabbe and Goyle. Draco had also inadvertently awoken Blaise, who cracked his skull on his headboard and swore loudly. This made Draco laugh cruelly as he began to dress.  
The four boys headed up to breakfast a few minutes later, tripping first years and pushing their way through small groups of students. The entered the Great Hall with a large amount of gusto and swept off towards the Slytherin table.  
On the way, Draco's eyes did an involuntary sweep of the Gryffindor table but his efforts were fruitless. Ginny was not there. He tried to shake her from his mind as he sat with his fellow Slytherin's and piled his plate with eggs and bacon.  
He knew his patience with Fate was short and that; soon, he would be the one to elicit another encounter with his Red-Headed Heartthrob.

Yes, very soon.


	3. Chapter 3: Ginny

The first week of school was almost over. Ginny sighed as she scribbled notes during her last class of the day, History of Magic. It was five minutes till but still she was struggling to keep her brain from falling into a bored stupor.  
She copied the ample amount of script from the blackboard as Professor Binns droned on about some Goblin War of 1653. She tried to run a number of topics through her mind as she wrote to keep herself alert.

'I wonder how Harry's classes have been going,' she pondered internally. 'He's quite brilliant when he really sets his mind to something.' She smiled to herself, finishing a sentence with a flourish. A warm feeling of adoration always crept over her when she thought of Harry.  
'I _am_ curious as to whether Malfoy thinks I am naïve about Harry, too." She thought her smiled fading a little. 'Oh, but what does he know, anyway? He's just a bully! And a terrible bully at that!'  
Somewhere in her deep conscience, a tiny voice whispered, 'A cute bully.'

Her head snapped up as though someone else had said it, instead of her own brain. 'What the hell am I thinking of?' She scolded herself, 'Malfoy is_ not_ cute! I must be losing it!' She shook her head at the thought and glanced down to check her notes.

At the very end of the page were the words DRACO MALFOY written in an elegant script. She blushed and blotted out the words in ink before anyone else could see.  
Moments later, her class was dismissed; she scrambled to put away her papers and supplies. She hurried up to Gryffindor Tower to drop off her books.

Half an hour later, Ginny was strolling out of Hogwarts castle with her worn navy tote bag, ready to enjoy her Friday afternoon off. She ambled down to the side of the lake and flopped down beneath the large beech tree near its edge. Peeling off her socks and shoes, she dipped her feet in the cool, refreshing water. Sighing contentedly, she pulled her diary out of her tote.  
Unlike the diary from the year previous, she had had this one checked thoroughly to be sure it was just a simple journal and nothing sinister. She leaned her face back for a moment as the sunlight filtered through the beech leaves. She was happy and she reveled in some of the last fine weather of the season. She opened her diary and began to write about what happened in History of Magic.

After a good bit of furious venting into the book, she set it aside with a relieved huff. She lean back onto the trunk of the beech tree and drank in her surroundings. The lake looked like a dancing mirror, the sun and wind were working together to make tiny wave pirouette in a shimmering display.  
The hazy, violet mountains, cloudless azure sky, rippling emerald grass and enlightened exterior of the castle made Hogwarts seem like a painting come to life. It was truly a beautiful place.

As Ginny looked all around her something caught her eye on the far side of the castle, hidden in its shade, someone was watching her. Ginny gasped and strained her eyes to see the perpetrator. He was always so distinguishable by that blonde hair. Draco Malfoy again.  
She rose to her feet quickly to tell him off but he turned and slipped away before she had the chance. She was unsure whether she should run after him, but she decided against it. Sitting back down against the beech, Ginny took out her journal to add this to her entry.  
As she wrote, she swore that she could feel someone watching her, but every time she raised her head to look, there would be no one. Feeling strangely, she packed up her things and re-clothed her feet. She stood and strode towards the castle for an early dinner, uneasy all the while.  
She was comforted that he was not there when she arrived, or when she finished her meal and went upstairs to her dormitory. Things just seemed to be getting very odd, in her opinion, as she tucked herself away in the common room to talk with some friends. And drive Draco from her mind, completely.


	4. Chapter 4: Draco

Draco lay in bed Friday evening, pondering the events of the day.  
He had been watching Ginny as she sat beside the lake that afternoon. She was incredibly striking as she wrote in a notebook, a smile on the edge of her lips. Beneath a beech tree, shadows and sunlight pranced on her fiery hair, making it look as though she was swaying gently in the breeze with her red halo of hair framing her face.  
She had caught him staring just moments later. Chastened, he had stalked away before she could reprimand him for being a creep. But the idea of being yelled at by Ginny didn't keep him away for long. In fact, it made him come back. Any kind of contact with her was eagerly anticipated by Draco.  
But she did not scold him. Although she had looked up from her journal several more times, she did not see him. So, when Ginny had risen to go inside, his eyes followed her. He waited a minute and then made his own way into the castle.  
He headed down to his dormitory then to find Crabbe and Goyle, and maybe to bully someone until the weight in his chest lifted. Instead he just lay down on his four-poster to await them and wonder.

Why did _Ginny Weasley_ of all creatures make him feel this way? Sure, she was pretty, exceptionally so; but then, many other girls at Hogwarts were also.  
Perhaps it was pity that made him feel for her? After the events of last year, the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, maybe he just felt sorry for the little red-headed girl who got caught up in his father's plot. She had been an innocent child, even if she was a blood-traitor. Pure-blood still had to count for something, right?  
But no, Draco knew that it was neither pity nor her beauty that had swayed his heart. It was just her in essence. Before school had begun last year, he had seen Potter in Flourish and Blotts. He was eager to make fun of him, just for the sake of it. Ginny had interceded, telling him to back off Harry.  
And even though, Draco had known that she defended Harry because of her affection towards him, he couldn't help but admire her spirit.

It was from that day on that Draco found himself staring at her from across the Great Hall, or dreaming about her late at night. He hated it at first, but during the summer he had finally come to terms with his crush. He wanted her, felt for her in a way that he had never known before. And now, he was ready to do something about it.

Draco rose from his bed and left the dormitory, sweeping past Crabbe and Goyle who had finally come in and told them, "I'm going for a walk."  
He quickly ascended the stairs into the Entrance Hall and looked around. She was not there. He peeked into the Great Hall. Ah! There she was, eating an early dinner.  
Draco didn't want to be seen by others talking to Ginny, so instead of heading into the hall, he rushed up the stairs. He hid behind a tapestry on the Fourth Floor that he knew she would have to pass to go to Gryffindor Tower. He just prayed that she left dinner alone.

About half an hour later, a slow scattered trail of Gryffindor students began passing his hidden place, none of them Ginny. He had been checking through a tiny gap in the tapestry on the right side. Then finally, there she was, coming up the stairs slowly. Alone.  
Draco's heart hammered in his chest. Unsure of what he was going to say to her, he tried to just focus on getting her behind the tapestry with him. Just as she was passing, he reached out through the gap and pulled her inside his little alcove by her arm. She squealed and he put a hand over her mouth gently.  
"Quiet, Weasley. It's just me." He said softly, attempting to soothe her. It had the opposite effect. She wriggled away from him and spun around.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" She spat loudly.  
"Shush!" He urged her and then whispered, "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."  
She looked at him skeptically. "And why should I believe you?"

He faltered for a second, not sure of how to respond. She began to leave but he grabbed her again. "Please, Weasley, just hear me out." She hesitated, eyeing him warily. "I-I think I have feelings for you, Weasley. Don't ask me why, but I just do." He rushed out, lowering his head to hide his blush and his shame for being so forward.  
"What?" She hissed, eyes wide in shock. "Is this some kind of joke?"  
Draco frowned. "If this was a joke, Weasley, it wouldn't be very funny."

Ginny just continued to stare at him for a few minutes; she twiddled with a lock of her hair and then asked finally, "So, what should we do?"  
He looked at Ginny longingly before replying. "Well that depends. Do you have feelings for me?"  
She frowned, too. "I would say no. But I really don't know. I thought I hated you, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you lately."  
Draco grinned, stunningly. "Let me take you on a date!" He whispered to her ecstatically.

She looked perplexed. "How?" She asked. "You can go into Hogsmeade this year, but I'm just a Second Year."  
Draco was unperturbed by this. "Don't you worry about that, Weasley. I'll take care of everything! I'll send you word with a school owl at breakfast next Saturday. Is that Saturday night okay?" He asked, enthusiastically.  
She agreed, still seeming a bit unsure about the whole ordeal. But Draco just looked so happy about everything that she smiled at him finally. "This really isn't a joke, right?" She asked, lamely.  
He actually reached out and grabbed her hand cautiously, still grinning from ear to ear. "No, Weasley. I'm as serious as a Haotican Hex."  
Ginny returned his grin a bit tentatively, somehow knowing that he was actually being honest. She held his hand for another moment and then stuck her head out from behind the tapestry. She made sure the coast was clear and then headed up to her Common Room.

Draco waited for a few minutes and then strode down towards the Great Hall, suddenly very hungry. He bounced jauntily with every step and felt as though his heart had swelled to twice its usual size. He ate his dinner vigorously, so that he could go back to his own dormitory and plan his first ever date. His date with Ginny Weasley.


End file.
